Blog

Meet our Practitioners

Jennifer Schaal, LPC, NCC

Practice Founder and Owner
Child, Adolescent, and Adult Therapist

Enjoys working with clients throughout the lifespan (3- the senior years)

Jennifer is a warm and empathetic therapist, who creates a welcoming and non-judgmental environment for clients to engage in the therapeutic process. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Nationally Certified Counselor, with 15 years combined experience working in the mental health and special education fields. She is also the Founder and Practice Owner of Inner Peace Psychological Services and Integrative Wellness Center, PLLC. Jennifer is a lifespan therapist who enjoys working with clients three years of age through the senior years, and embraces each person holistically, honoring the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit.

Jennifer works with clients to help them find their personal definition of inner peace by integrating evidenced-based therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive- Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Theory, with time-honored integrative mindfulness-based practices, including guided meditation and progressive relaxation. She walks with clients in their journey and serves as a bridge to connect them with where they are, and where they strive to be, emotionally, in relationships, life-roles, fulfillment, and health. She works in partnership with her clients to create practical, individualized strategies, to facilitate progress toward personal fulfillment and life goals.

Jennifer is a member of the following professional associations:
ACA American Counseling Association
INNMH International Network of Integrative Mental Health
APT Association for Play Therapy

Jeffery Snow, MD.

Medical DirectorChild, Adolescent, and Adult Psychiatrist

Ajay Patel, PMHNP-BC

Psychiatric Nurse PractitionerEnjoys working with patients ages 13-75

Ajay is a board certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. He received his Master of Science from the University of California San Francisco. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UNC Chapel Hill. Ajay has over ten years of experience in mental health and a passion for helping individuals from diverse backgrounds achieve recovery in the context of a broad range of issues.

Ajay values an empathetic, nonjudgmental, and interpersonal approach to care. As a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, he strives to help others achieve optimum health. He provides a broad range of services including medication management, lifestyle modification, wellness education, coping resources, and family education. Ajay has diverse clinical experience working with persons affected by depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, trauma, anxiety, and numerous other mental health issues in community, hospital, and outpatient based settings. He subscribes to humanistic and holistic approaches to care. As a holistic provider, he views the individual in terms of overall wellness, this includes the composition of physical, mental, social, and spiritual aspects that make us unique individuals.

Ajay believes that a diagnosis does not define a person. Rather, through personal choice and creativity, we have the ability to achieve personal growth and define our own path to positive change. It is Ajay’s view that persons affected by health issues are unique and capable individuals who have the potential for growth and recovery. In identifying the numerous challenges imposed by mental health issues and framing such issues under the concept of overall wellness, he strives to empower the individual to build upon their strengths and utilize self-ability to achieve wellness and recovery.

Carolena Norment, LPC

Licensed Professional Counselor

Enjoys working with patients ages 10-65

Carolena is a Licensed Professional Counselor who has a passion for helping her clients find healing, health, happiness and success by learning to lead a more balanced life. She understands that every individual’s journey to improving their quality of life is unique, and develops a holistic, optimistic and strength-based treatment plan based on each of her clients’ individual needs. She is a certified yoga instructor for mental health and offers yoga as an intervention to decrease symptoms of anxiety, depression and trauma. Her other treatment modalities include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness. Her approach is to create a safe and non-judgmental environment where her clients are able to cultivate a healthy relationship with themselves therefore improving their relationships with others. In her four years in the field, Carolena has worked with children, adolescents and adults ages 4 to 65 providing individual and family therapy. She has helped clients dealing with a range of concerns including depression, anxiety, PTSD, Bipolar disorder, ADHD, self-esteem issues, grief and relationship/family conflict.

Trainings

Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Yoga for Mental Health Professionals

Associations

Licensed Professional Counselor Association of North Carolina

Robin Young-Knutson, MFA, MA, LMFT-A

Works with clients ages 10 – 80

Robin is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate who believes that each client
brings their own strengths and resources to the therapeutic environment. Robin seeks to
help clients unearth solutions within a safe therapy space grounded in positive
psychology, strengths-based and Solutions-focused approach to psychotherapy. Her
approach to therapy views clients as multi-faceted beings who are reaching towards
their highest Self; this includes working from a client’s personal spiritual orientation if it
is relevant to him/her. Underscoring these aspects, is an accentuation on
Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction techniques and Evidence-based interventions such
as Cognitive Behavioral and Structural approaches throughout her practice with clients.
Moreover, as a Certified Owner / Handler of a therapy / assistance golden retriever
named Sophie, she utilizes Animal-Assisted Therapy when it is evident that a client
could benefit from the dog’s therapeutic presence. Sophie is adept at providing comfort
and stress relief while recognizing anxiety, depression and other emotional states that
come from dealing with such issues. Additionally, with a background in fine arts she
incorporates Expressive Arts into her work with clients which may come in the form of
writing, drawing, painting, music, dramatic presentation — any creative endeavor that
aids in both the client’s understanding of what is unfolding. Robin treats depression,
anxiety, family discord, relationship issues, grief, chronic / physical illnesses and
spiritual concerns.